How we raise them
Pasture-raised, grain-finished, and we will show you the records
Steer FB94946 was born on this homestead in Charlotte County, Florida and has been out on open pasture every day since. He has never seen a feedlot or a sale barn, and he has had the same handlers his whole life. Nobody has to take our word for any of that — the feed and health record is open, and you are welcome to come look at him.
Pasture-raised is not the same claim as grass-fed
Worth clearing up first, because the two terms get treated as interchangeable and they are not. Pasture-raised describes where an animal lives. Grass-fed describes what it eats.
FB94946 is pasture-raised and grain-finished — more than 500 consecutive days on grain, which is what builds the intramuscular fat Wagyu is bought for. He lives outside and he eats grain. Both are true at once.
So if you came here looking specifically for 100% grass-finished beef, we are not that, and we would rather say so now than take your deposit and disappoint you at pickup. We are also not certified organic. What we are is a small homestead that can tell you exactly how one animal was raised.
What we do not use, and why
No growth implants, ever. Commodity cattle are commonly implanted to convert feed into weight faster. We have never used one. It is part of why this steer took over 500 days on grain and reached 1,330 lbs rather than being pushed to finish in a few months — slower is the whole point with this breed.
No antibiotics in feed, and none as routine prevention. Nothing is mixed into the ration and nothing is given on a schedule. What we will not promise you is that an animal would go untreated if it got sick — a ranch that would let a steer suffer to protect a marketing line is not one you should buy from. If it ever happens, it goes in the record and we tell you. That is a narrower claim than the ones you will read elsewhere, and it is one we can actually stand behind.
No ractopamine or other beta-agonists. These are fed in the final weeks to add lean mass. On a Wagyu that is working directly against the reason you are buying the animal, so the question never really comes up here.
One animal, one tag
This is the part most people have not thought about. Supermarket ground beef is typically combined from many carcasses, which is also why a recall sweeps up so much of it at once. There is no way to trace a package back to an animal, because it was never one animal.
Everything in your freezer comes from steer FB94946 and nothing else. One steer, one registration number, one feed record, one set of handlers. If something about your beef ever seems off, there is exactly one animal to ask about and we already know his history.
He is also registered — AWA #FB94946, owner of record member #3602 — so the pedigree is verifiable rather than asserted.
Come see for yourself
This is the one thing no online beef seller can offer you, so we would rather lean on it than on adjectives. Feed and health records are open to any buyer who wants to read them, and you can come meet the animal before you commit a dollar.
It is a working homestead, so wear boots. Call or text (941) 888-4508 and we will find a time.